Two young research talents off to foreign top institutes thanks to Rubicon

Thursday, 13 Jul 2017

General

Two young research talents off to foreign top institutes thanks to Rubicon

Reinier Meester (ErasmusMC) and Stephanie Wassenburg (Social Sciences),who have recently received their PhDs, can do their research at foreign research institutes thanks to a Rubicon grant from NWO. They will go to Stanford and Carnegie Mellon University in the USA.

The Rubicon programme gives young, highly promising researchers the opportunity to gain international research experience. The researchers will investigate the serrated polyp pathway to colorectal cancer and the effectiveness of video blogging in education

Modelling the serrated polyp pathway to colorectal cancer.Dr R.G.S. (Reinier) Meester), Department of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Center -> US, Stanford University School of Medicine, 24 monthsThe serrated polyp is a poorly understood pathway to colorectal cancer, which may account for one third of all cases. We aim to develop an evidence-based simulation model to inform decisions on colorectal cancer screening and surveillance of patients with serrated polyps.

Video blogging as a modern learning strategyDr S.I. (Stephanie) Wassenburg, Erasmus University Rotterdam -> US, Carnegie Mellon University, Human-Computer Interaction Institute, 24 monthsThe growth in technology requires new approaches to learning. This project will investigate the effectiveness of video blogging in education. In addition it will examine how innovative technologies, such as artificial intelligence and augmented reality, can support and facilitate the learning process.

Facts and figuresA total of 80 researchers submitted a proposal for Rubicon, of which 43 men and 37 women. The overall award rate was 19%. The award rate was 14% for men and 24% for women. Twelve laureates are going to the United States, one to the United Kingdom, one to Belgium and one to Sweden. For many researchers, experience abroad is an important step in their career.